Over the Hedge: The Fates, Part Six

The Fates, Part Six

12/24/2020

2 August 2006

“Sounds like you had a hell of a night,” Matteson said from the kitchen, where he was putting his plate from breakfast into the sink. I was sitting on the love seat and lighting a cigarette after explaining my time spent with the Fates. I heard water running, and after it shut off he came back drying his hands. “Does this mean you’re a few weeks older than you were yesterday?”

“I don’t know,” I said with a groan as I turned and laid down. He walked over, lifted my legs, sat down under them, and put my feet back on the arm of the seat. “That’s hardly the point, though.” He tossed the towel onto the coffee table and lit his own cigarette.

“You sure? It seems important.”

“Sure. Look, I’m coming to you about this partly because few other people would believe me, and partly because I’m concerned about what Hec—the goddess wants from you.”

“Oh, she already tried recruiting me.” He leaned his head back and I propped myself up.

“She what?”

“Yeah, it was,” he waved his cigarette around, as if trying to remember, “I dunno, a little after the Alethea situation. She stopped time around me, sent some dog, I met her on a tropical island. It was all very interesting.”

“And you never told me?!”

“Sorry, I thought I had. Besides, you didn’t mention Kastor having a message for me.”

“That seemed a bit less important.” He shrugged.

“Probably was. But yeah, I told her to take a hike, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I laid my head back down.

“She isn’t going to just give up, you know. She believes she owns you in some way.”

“Pft. Europeans.” I choked out a quick laugh. “But now we both know, and we can keep an eye out for it, right? You got my back.”

“As long as you got mine.” He gave me a fist bump, and then we sat in silence for a couple minutes.

“Who wants a drink!” he called, lifting my legs again and hopping up to his feet.

“It’s nine in the morning.”

“And I’m off today!” I sighed and considered the 'night' I’d had.

“Make me one of those things with the rum you whipped up last week.”